VAPPOR OAXACA Rally
(Vencera la Asamblea Popular del Pueblo de Oaxaca en Resistencia)
2PM Sunday November 19
Mexican Consulate, 1549 India St. Little Italy

The Oaxaca Solidarity Camp has continuously occupied the sidewalk outside the Mexican Consulate in San Diego, 24/7, for 21 days, since the invasion of Oaxaca by Mexican federal troops on October 29, in solidarity with the Oaxacan resistance's demands put forth by The Popular Assembly of the Peoples of Oaxaca (APPO): that the murderous governor Ulises Ruiz be removed, that the federal troops leave Oaxaca, and that all political prisoners be released and the disappeared be returned.

The Camp has been educating the community about the human rights violations occurring in Oaxaca and the ongoing resistance through banners proclaiming Fox and Ruiz as murderers and listing the demands of the resistance, photographs showing the invasion and the people's resistance, flowers and a Dia de los Muertos altar, flyers, rallies and marches, chants, one-on-one discussions and videos. People waiting in line outside the consulate in the morning have been particularly receptive to these messages. Corporate media showed modest, sound-bite-level interest in the events in Oaxaca and the Camp early on, but characteristically lost interest in one of the most important stories of repression and resistance of this century.

The Camp has weathered the unsuccessful efforts of consulate personnel and cops to repress its solidarity actions, including illegal detentions, surveillance, attempts at infiltration, violent threats and actions against marchers, including ramming a copcar into the wheelchair of a protester, and endeavoring to turn local businesses and residents against the protesters. Although relations with residents of the high-priced neighborhood surrounding the consulate were rocky at first, with some complaints about noise, the warmth of the people occupying the camp and the power of their message has won over the locals, leading to friendly relations, expressions of support and donations of food.

Numerous solidarity actions around the globe are planned for the days leading up to Nov 20, when the EZLN has called for solidarity blockades, including a rally at the Mexican Consulate in San Diego, 1549 India St in Little Italy on Sun Nov 19 at 2PM.

Highlights/Reports from the camp since the Oaxaca Solidarity March on Nov 5:
The Attitude of the Mexican Consul Nov 6-7: Since the Mexican government is a strict hierarchy it is no surprise that the local Mexican consul is of course their echo. Instead of acknowledging that his role is to understand and service the requests of all Mexicans, he is concerned only with offering up Mexico (and its population) to foreign tourists and investors, not caring if Oaxacans barely survive while living at the mercy of fear, exploitation, torture and murder. Read More

Meeting Held at Mexican Consulate Nov 8: Groups, organizations, collectives and individuals met in a formal attempt to develop a more consistent coordination with all people in solidarity with the Oaxacan struggle, lead by the APPO, about the responsibility of the encampment in front of the Mexican Consulate. Read More

SD Street Party: A little birdie told me that people are planning to go the Mexican Consulate in Little Italy the night that the corrupt, murderous governor of Oaxaca, Ulises Ruiz, announces his resignation, which is the principal demand of the Popular Assembly of the Peoples of Oaxaca, a coalition of teachers, students, farmers, indigenous groups and other social movements. Read More

Sister of Brad Will Visits Solidarity Camp Nov 10: Yesterday, Christy Will (Brad Will's sister) came to visit the Solidarity encampment in front of the Mexican consulate in San Diego. She thanked us for what we are doing and was visibly moved by the show of support that our encampment has made for the people of Oaxaca. Read More

Morning Videos Nov 15-17: Campers have been showing the video Victoria Todos Santos (PFP attack on the University repelled - Nov 2) on a laptop to the people standing in line waiting to enter the consulate in the mornings while explaining the situation in Oaxaca and the purpose of the Camp. The video helped to make real the difficult situation people in Oaxaca face and their courage and determination. Especially moving to the viewers was the interview with a young boy participating in the battle to protect the University. Watch the Video from Mal de Ojo TV

Continuing Updates: espanol: 1 2 3 | english 1 2

SD Reports: 1 2 3 NEW: 4 5

SD Photos/Reports with Photos: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 NEW: 13 14 15 16 17

SD Audio: 1 2 3

SD Video: 1 2 NEW: 3 4


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UPDATE: Enrique Morones from Border Angels describes an agreement between property owners, city officials and migrant advocacy groups that will keep racists Minutemen away from the homes of San Diego's hardest working people. Video 2:48, english then espanol at 1:39

PRESS CONFERENCE
Friday 3:30PM Downtown
Broadway Circle in front of NBC studios

Many San Diegans are outraged at the recent portrayal of the undocumented community in the recent undercover NBC report by Ana Garcia of NBC channel 4 in Los Angeles. Her one sided story, not only has created fear in the canyon communities where some migrants live, but has energized hate groups such as the minutemen and hate radio such as Rick Roberts to ridicule and create a circus atmosphere at the very site many of the hardest working members of our community have lived for decades.

We will not allow the Minutemen or any other racist groups to continue to practice their hate and violence on our migrant brothers and sisters or anyone else, as this represents the worst of the American Spirit.

Enough! We demand that Mayor Jerry Saunders, District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis and the community at large say Enough, Basta!!! The whole world is watching and we can in a blink of an eye go from “Americas Finest City”, to “Americas Most Racist City”

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Amid widespread detentions and disappearances of activists, as well as paramilitary attacks, the people of Oaxaca are continuing their resistance and demanding the ouster of corrupt governor Ulises Ruiz, the removal of federal troops from Oaxaca and the release of all political prisoners. As APPO forms a permanent government, the corrupt regime claims that APPO assassinated NYC Indymedia journalist Brad Will, instead of the armed PRI-associated paramilitaries caught on film shooting at him and the compener@s at the barricade.

Background/Links: 1 2 3

Summary of Events Since the 6th MegaMarch on Nov 5:
Women's March Nov 7: 10,000 women marched from the outskirts of Oaxaca to the central square today, carrying flowers and wearing black in honor of all who have been murdered and disappeared, throwing flowers and screaming "Asesinos" at riot squad police at the Zocalo. As old women were crying from emotion, police fired from their water cannons and APPO supporters took aim at the PFP with their slingshots Read More Also: 1 2

March for Radio Unidersidad: Students and others marched to protest intentional interference with the signal of Radio Universidad. Read More

APPO Constitutional Congress Nov 10-12: The goal of APPO's Constitutional Congress was to choose a leadership and fortify the direction of the organization in the most democratic way. Along the walls were banners of APPO in action. They showed young people with molotovs, women stringing out barbed wire, people with slingshots and bandanas over theor faces or playing the guitar, a woman with a baby facing the riot cops. Read More

APPO Forms Permanent Government Nov 10-12: Three thousand Oaxaqueños responded to the first call of APPO to forge a new constitution for Oaxaca, self-dissolving in favor of a permanent structure of government which includes an executive and legislative branch. The new organ is the State Council of the Popular Assembly of the Peoples of Oaxaca (CEAPPO). Read More

Threats/Detentions/Disappearances Nov 10: Yesterday, as a 5.1 earthquake shook the city, more students disappeared and received threats, prompting the occupied university to declare a red alert. Four APPO leaders with warrants on their names sought asylum in the Catholic Church for the night [and were later refused asylum]. Many members of APPO´s 350 integrated organizations have abandoned their homes and offices because of threats and violence from PRI party members or supporters. Read More

Student and Youth Conference Nov 11: At present, the popular Oaxacan movement is in the vanguard of social movements in Mexico and in Latin America, and finding itself snared by the political class and its imminent demise, the 2nd National Student & Youth Conference proclaims its solidarity with the Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca (APPO) and calls attention to communities of resistance. Read More

Government Claims APPO Assassinated Brad Will Nov 15: Brad Will will not be able to rest peacefully. The people of Oaxaca have given their lives . Today the government wants to think we are also assassins. The Mexican government wants to attribute his death to members of the Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca (APPO) to exonerate the true assassins... Read More

Recent Reports/Reports with Photos from Oaxaca: Names of the Disappeared | Communications War in Oaxaca | APPO | Dirty War in Oaxaca
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Today the US House of Reps passed by voice vote the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA), which was previously approved by the Senate. AETA labels as terrorism any action that would cause loss of profits by corporations that exploit animals, including whistleblowing or nonviolent civil disobedience. Herr Bush is expected to sign the bill gleefully. Read More

In Other Recent Green Scare News:
From greenisthenewred.com and SupportRod.org:
Rod Coronado, the government’s poster-child for “eco-terrorist” scare-mongering, is involved in multiple court cases right now, including charges under an obscure section of a law dealing with “Distribution of Information Relating to Explosives.” At a speech in San Diego, someone in the audience asked how Coronado committed an arson years ago in the name of animal rights and the environment. He grabbed a plastic juice bottle from a table and said he used a bottle like that one, filled with gasoline and attached to a timer, then went to the next question. For that he’s facing 20 years in prison under a rarely-used federal statute... Rod’s next court date is February 8, 2007. If his motion to strike down the statute is denied, the judge will set a date for a future motion hearing where Rod will bring additional challenges to the Indictment against him and the facts alleged by the government. If the case proceeds to trial, it is anticipated that the trial will occur in the summer of 2007. Read More

From ecoprisoners.org:
Seven activists in Los Angeles had their homes raided in connection with a campaign against the POM Wonderful juice company, makers of POM pomegranate juice and Evian water. POM has funded $10 million in research into the health effects of its juice, including conducting numerous studies on animals which included inducing erectile disfunction and depriving newborn mice of oxygen to the brain. The raids are yet another transparent attempt by the government to stifle free speech at the request of large corporations (POM is based in Santa Monica, CA, the town whose police carried out the raids) Read More

From greenscare.org International Day of Green Scare Solidarity:
On December 7th, 2005, the FBI made their first arrests of "Operation Backfire," a multi-state sweep targeting alleged Earth Liberation and Animal Liberation Front activists with charges of conspiracy and arson threatening them with life in prison... This year, on December 7, people all over the world will be organizing and participating in events to raise awareness about the Green Scare and show solidarity with those targeted by it. Please organize an event in your area to support Green Scare Indictees and political prisoners. Read More
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The term "Green Scare" is widely used to refer to the U.S. government's current stepped-up program of harassment, intimidation and fear targeting the Earth and animal liberation movements. The government's campaign has been carefully crafted, with the help of Earth and animal-exploiting big business, in an effort to silence these growing political movements. The "Green Scare" has so far resulted in numerous grand juries, indictments and arrests.

The four remaining non-cooperating defendants in the Oregon "Green Scare" case today changed their pleas and agreed to drop their request for production of NSA surveillance materials and data. Recent negotiations between federal prosecutors and the defendants resulted in a global resolution non-cooperation plea agreement whereby the four defendants will agree to accept responsibility for their own roles in environmentally motivated crimes, but do not agree to provide information or testify against anyone now or in the future.

Despite the agreement however, federal prosecutors have asked the court to apply a "terrorism enhancement" at sentencing. Should Judge Aiken grant the government's request, the non-cooperating defendants could face up to 20 years in prison in addition to the terms of the plea agreement. The government is seeking the "terrorism enhancement" despite the fact that the crimes to which they have admitted responsibility only involve the destruction of private property; no government property was damaged in any of the incidents.

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This is a brief photographic timeline before and after Sgt. Larmuur intentionally hit me with his police vehicle [near the end of the Oaxaca Solidarity March on Sunday]. If you zoom in on the pictures you can see his car with and without a scratch before and after he hit me. Please notice in the picture where he is either about to or actually hitting me how close his car is to the people next to me. This is a clear example of the tactics the police employed throughout the entire march where they would speed up their vehicle to intimidate protestors.

Description of the March and links to photos and video.
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Two Diebold voting machines in Vista experienced paper jams on the already controversial computerized format that has been challenged on local, regional and national levels.

"What happend today in Vista is an example of the continued erosion of our democracy," said Fredia Avalos, a communication lecturer at Cal State San
Marcos. Vista filmaker Mark Day commented "I ended up voting twice. Those machines make a lot of racket and sound like an old harvesting machine. The whole thing is very scary."
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On Sunday, a mega-march organized by the Popular Assembly of the Peoples of Oaxaca (APPO), with an estimated hundreds of thousands to a half million to one million participants, filled the streets of Oaxaca City, reportedly at one point extending as long as 12 kilometers (7 miles). The march was said to be the people's response to the Mexican Federal Preventative Forces' (PFP) failed invasion of the University Autotonima Benito Juarez, which houses APPO's Radio Universidad, and the continuing attacks, arrests and repression. Early on Sunday, a university student guarding the radio station was shot in the chest and remains in critical condition.

Also on Sunday, a Oaxaca solidarity march leaving from the San Diego Oaxaca Solidarity Camp at the Mexican Consulate in Little Italy (at peak ~ 70 participants) took the streets and progressed through downtown and the gaslamp with banners and chants expressing solidarity with the Oaxacan People and their demands: the corrupt governor Ulises Ruiz must go; the federal PFP troops must leave Oaxaca and the political prisoners and disappeared must be returned in good health.

The march was preceded by an open mic rally where speakers discussed the situation in Oaxaca, Oaxaqueños in California, and demands upon the Mexican government and the San Diego Mexican Consul. As the Mexican Consulate was approached at the conclusion of the march, unassociated passersby dragged hay bales, which had been placed on the corner to give Little Italy a fake harvest ambience, into the street, according to an eyewitness who did not wish to be identified. The hay bale blockade at the corner of India and Cedar was the site of a post-march open mic rally further discussing the situation in Oaxaca and the demand for the end to police violence in both Oaxaca and San Diego.

Throughout the march and rally, the sdpd continued harassing and intimidating protesters in an attempt to curtail their rights to speak and be heard, and their rights to occupy public space. Early in the march, one copcar loudspeaker declared that the marchers were participating in a riot and would be arrested if they did not move to the sidewalk. As the march continued in the street, cops threatened the peaceful protesters with violence by dangerously accelerating their cars toward them in the back of and on either side of the march. Late in the march, a cop car struck a protester's wheelchair, fortunately not resulting in injuries.

At the hay bale blockade rally, the sdpd's frustration with nonhierarchical, self-organized resistance movements was evident, as they searched unsuccessfully for a leader to threaten and arrest. Cop photographers and videographers attempted to intimidate the protesters. One sdpd photographer moved into the crowd, apparently thinking that an armed thug amongst peaceful demonstrators would not be noticed. Protesters held signs up to block his view every time he attempted to take a photograph, eventually chasing him back to the sidelines.

Many protesters commented that they were energized by their ability to get out the message about Oaxaca despite the attempts at repression. Music and poetry after the rally produced a festive and hopeful atmosphere.

The San Diego Oaxaca Solidarity Camp continues at the Mexican Consulate, 1549 India Street in Little Italy. The protesters request your continuing help and support.

SD Photos: 1 2

SD Video: 1

Links to Prior SD Oaxaca Solidarity Camp Coverage here

Reports/Reports w/ Photos on the Oaxaca MegaMarch: 1 2 3 4

Report on Electronic Blockade of Mexican Consulates and Embassies here

Radio Universidad (Espanol) | Ongoing English Translation of Radio Universidad here

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San Diego activist Janice Jordan is running as the Peace and Freedom Candidate for governor of California with a $400 budget. Her campaign calls for an immediate moratorium on the death penalty, community policing, universal healthcare and free education, affordable housing, full equality for women, support for unions and immigrant rights.

Jordan was political prisoner Leonard Peltier's vice-presidential running mate in the 2004 election. She is active in the San Diego Sagon Penn Chapter of CopWatch, the California Coalition of Women Prisoners, and other local groups working for positive social change.

Arnold Schwartzenegger is estimated to have spent $40 million for his republican bid for governor; Phil Angelides $36 million for the democrats. Despite the 100,000 times funding advantage the corporate candidates have over Jordan, in a recent mock election amongst California students, Jordan came in third - within spitting distance of the leaders: Jordan, 15.7%; Camejo, 8.9%; Olivier, 4.8%,;Noonan, 3.5%; Angelides, 34.5%, Schwarzenegger, 32.7%.

I spoke with Jordan outside a CopWatch event on October 22, the National Day of Protest Against Police Brutality. Video: 8min 33sec.

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UPDATE 11/4 9:00AM Two of IMC journalist Brad Will's murderers arrested, seven reporters hurt by PFP | Solidarity demonstrations continue across the globe

On Thursday the Oaxacan people, using rocks, custom-made fireworks launchers and limitless courage, repelled a fierce attack by the Mexican Federal Preventative Forces (PFP) employing chemical weapons on University City, which houses the University Autotonima Benito Juarez and the voice of the struggle, Radio Universidad. The University has become the central location for The Popular Assembly of the Peoples of Oaxaca (APPO) since the PFP occupied the zocalo on Sunday. Read more here: 1 2 3

On Friday, about 20 people got out of minivans and shot at Radio Universidad.

In San Diego, protesters with the Oaxaca Solidarity Camp continue to occupy the sidewalk in front of the Mexican Consulate in Little Italy, despite being hassled by SDPD and consulate personnel. On Wednesday, an energetic display of chanting, yelling and percussion rocked the consulate and Little Italy off their foundations. On Thursday, protesters showed films projected onto the Consulate garage door about the Oaxacan People's struggle, as well as the video Indymedia journalist Brad Will was shooting when he was assassinated in Oaxaca last Friday. As if on cue, the garage door opened and the Consul drove out during Will's video. On Friday, energetic chanting accompanied the presence of fox news. A surprisingly high fraction of the people passing by the consulate had some awareness of the situation in Oaxaca. The protesters request your continuing support and help maintaining the Camp.

Background: 1 2

Continuing Updates: espanol: 1 2 3 | english 1 2

SD Reports: 1 2 3

SD Photos/Reports with Photos: 1 2 3 4 5 6 NEW: 7 8 9

SD Audio: 1 2 NEW: 3

SD Video: 1


English
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